SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
MIXING
The manufacturing process begins in the mixing department where various chemicals (resins, plasticizers, blowing agents, stabilizers and fillers) are stirred together to make a batch. The batch of liquid (called “plastisol”) is screened to remove large particles prior to storage in blend tanks. Our Mixing Lab tests batches of plastisol and enters results into our SPC database. Lot traceability is established at this work center.
SILICONE LINE
Concurrently, we coat various purchased papers, films and foil on one or both sides with a silicone which serves as a release coating for either the foam casting process or as a pressure sensitive adhesive release for downstream use. This line is additionally fitted with controls and solvent coating equipment to allow us to make high performance adhesive tapes.
OVENS
Our process equipment incorporates several steps in one production line. We first accurately meter the plastisol onto the carrier web (paper, film or foil) as the ingredients have been closely monitored in the mixing process to produce a specific change in weight and thickness (which together determine the density of the product). The material then enters the multistage oven, where the material is heated. As the plastisol temperature increases, it first gels (forms a cheese-like solid). Next, it fuses together to form a film. Then further heating releases gas into the product causing it to foam. Once the expansion process has completed releasing its gas, the product exits the oven in a soft marshmallow like state. By carefully cooling the product to room temperature, we are then able to further process the material, when desired, by application of an emulsion adhesive directly on top of the foam, which we then dry and cool down again so that it is ready to be rewound as a complete foam tape.
COATING & LAMINATING
We have additional coating and laminating stations to extend our manufacturing capabilities to include other configurations of foams and tape products using a variety of specialty papers, films and adhesive packages as well as multiples of our cast thickness range.
LABORATORY
Our in-house laboratory is capable of evaluating the raw materials we use in our products as well as testing the finished products to a variety of methods. We also have a prototype line of the manufacturing oven so that we can make small samples of products for development as well as customer evaluation.
SINGLE KNIFE SLITTERS
We have the capability of converting 6” to 22” diameter logs using PLC controlled machines for consistency of cuts. Packaging and labeling requirements of our customers are conveyed to the operators through a shop floor management system. The shop floor management system also supports our Scheduling Department in assisting customers with quick ship requirements.
SLITTERS
Our differential rewind slitters, besides supporting internal needs at Gaska Tape, offer custom slitting to our customers of release paper, board, films and foams. These slitters are of particular value for the materials which are more difficult to convert especially materials without exposed adhesive. In addition, slit rolls up to 30 inches in diameter can be made for customers to maximize their production speeds on their own narrow web equipment.
REELING
If you have a requirement for long continuous runs with minimal splicing downtime in your facility, our reeling department offers a wide variety of material, densities, widths and colors. The PLC controlled equipment produces consistent wraps on the spool with minimal stretching for the lower density materials. We offer our standard 15” spools up thru the 32” jumbo reels which support customer manual application needs as well as robotic operations.
DIE CUTTING
Along with servicing customer needs by part and die design capabilities, we die cut a wide variety of materials serving multiple end users including general industrial, construction, electronics, consumer goods and RV. With the flexibility of our equipment we offer short run as well as high volume production runs.
CUSTOMER SUPPLIED MATERIALS
Gaska Tape is often able to process customer supplied materials using its state of the art equipment. Examples of previous value added processing include adhesive coating, laminating, slitting, spooling and die cutting of materials which customers have sent in to us.
SHIPPING
Our Shipping Department packs and prepares material for shipment to customers. We strive for 100% on time shipments. Local Elkhart shipments are delivered free of charge. We schedule carriers or ship via the customer’s preferred carrier. We can also arrange collect charges if requested.
CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
The Gaska Tape Sales Team pride themselves in being the Innovators in Foam and Tapes across the nation. They work very closely with their customers, new customers and the Technical Department to solve or develop customer solutions to new and existing applications.
Note: Data is intended as a guide only and is presented without the guarantees and without the assumption of liabilities resultant from the use of information provided. This data is not to be used for specification purposes.